Russell Martilla's Page

I bought this car in a somewhat different form back in 2000 from the original owner..

I put a new engine in this car which is a 1969 vintage from a C series truck. 4 bolt mains, 9.1 compression, .040 overbore, stock cam and lifters (for now), high volume oil pump and double roller timing chain. The heads I sourced from a local machine shop. They are 882 casting number heads. 1.94, 1.50 valve, 3 angle valve job, ported and polished. I am running ZZ4 intake manifold (Thanks to Ben Taublib for the manifold) and an Edelbrock 600cfm carb. I am running a CZF Monte SS overdrive transmission from G-Body Shoppe Joey in Brooklyn I also bought a ProTorque converter 1800-2400 stall converter. I have also installed an 8.5" 3.42 rear from a Grand National Buick. I boxed the control arms along with poly bushings from www.hrpartsnstuff.com with thanks to my neighbor Robert for welding up the control arms and helping me install them. I have also installed a 36mm hollow swaybar from an IROC along with an IROC steering box. I am using moog 5660 s-10 springs which have better performance than stock and lower the car 3/4"... I live in NYC so I need some clearance. I have completely replaced the brake lines with new hard lines and braided steel lines and completely rebuilt the brake system from front to back with upgraded parts from other Chevy models. I then got into an accident on the Cross Island Parkway and had damage and more rust repair than I wanted to deal with.

Since I had already did the front suspension on the car and the engine and everything I found another 1979 Chevy Monte Carlo with only 43000 miles on it but the frame was messed up. So I decided to get this monte

and do a bodyswap. http://www.faster340.com/bodyswap.htm - My good friend John Disalvo who passed away shortly after the bodyswap let me use his shop over a long weekend to do all this work. I had some friends come in and help me out and he let me use all his tools and everything as well. I will never forget what he did for me!!!!! Rest in Peace JOHNNY!!!!. After this I had some bodywork and a cheap paint job done one the car... http://faster340.com/bodywork.htm but the guy screwed up on the paint work. He had to repaint it 3 x and he really messed up the hood and it started bubbling rust on the hood a year later. I then found an NOS hood on Long Island for $200 and bought it. After the paint job I had the local upholsterer put on the 1/4 vinyl roof again. But 2 years after that I started seeing some thing happening under the vinyl... So last year I ripped off the vinyl and my worst fears were confirmed. The bubbles I was seeing were RUST!!!!! So now my rust free Monte had a small rust hole in the roof of all places!!! I am so pissed at this point. I took the vinyl roof and went to the upholsterer and threw it in his face. The cops had to drag me outta there cause I was gonna really kick his ass. He said he was going to prep the roof against rust. He friggin lied and didn't do it!!!
So now this is where I am at. My car is in my driveway. I am disgusted to drive it even though I have new rims and tires and don't have the money to finish it.

Here is a photo of the car when it looked good, my favorite photos actually...